And another great German regional airport with modern RNAV approaches...
Which is going to be closed and turned into a harbor for the offshore windmill industry...
I had lunch today with a user of the airport, who is well positioned to have reasonably available public knowledge of the status of Bremerhaven Airport. He related to me that the rather costly infrastructure improvement made 4 years ago to accommodate them was financially planned for a twenty year usage. Now, Bremeraven Airport management might have to endure the cost of providing hangarage for the remainder of that term - at another airport.
With the potential for having to make this expenditure, they are insisting that the windmill people make a meaningful move to need the land, before they close the airport.
However, the windmill people are presently working at the road on the southern approach to the airport. Apparently, if this road is closed, that affects the public usage of the airport from an emergency services standpoint. I don't know the details of this.
The present schedule could see the airport closed as soon as December 2014, but only if the windmill people commit to a big expansion. I hope that the windmill people expand in another direction, and leave the airport alone, it's too quaint to abandon just like that!
I'll be back in September, and will happily host anyone who is interested in the DC-3's. I have a number of other visits here planned too, so we may yet have an "event"!
[edited to fix quote formatting]
At least windmills have props, too. Some of them even variable pitch
I'll be back in September, and will happily host anyone who is interested in the DC-3's. I have a number of other visits here planned too, so we may yet have an "event"!
Good idea, Pilot DAR. Let us know as soon as you have a date fixed? I will try to come but need to book an aircraft well in advance.
At least windmills have props, too. Some of them even variable pitch
Modern windmills even have a gearbox for constant speed. Windmill business is booming and a lot of people who studied Aviation are now working in that area.
Personally I am reserved about Windmill energy. The only reason why there are so many of them is because a lot of EU Subsidy is thrown into it. In the area where I live you can not make a forced landing without hitting one ;-)
I know somebody who was flying in low vis, low level, and found himself flying between the blades of a wind turbine.
flying between the blades of a wind turbine
Yeah...... When you're going to do that, you gotta say: "123, 123, 123, NOW!".
Better done in a flying wing type aircraft, if possible!
As for the economics of wind turbines:
The jury may be out on the cost to wildlife, but there’s no denying offshore wind has a big cost for energy billpayers. It currently costs almost three times the market price of power of about £50 per megawatt hour (MWh); if energy policy was decided by price alone, London Array would not have been built.
From an article in today's Telegraph, full story here
will happily host anyone who is interested in the DC-3's
Count me in!
...lot of people who studied Aviation are now working in that area.
Not only, but the pioneers of this business were aeronautical engineers (e.g. Ulrich Hütter article in german wikipedia only I'm afraid When I studied aeronautical engineering in the 1980ies, we had "design of wind energy converters" as an optional subject already. And if I would have to look for a job for myself now, this field would be my number one choice.
It might be considered heretic on this forum, but I value clean energy for the world a lot higher than air transport and recreational aviation. I also have invested the little money I have in this field now.
... because a lot of EU Subsidy is thrown into it.
Here in Germany there is no EU subsidy going into renewable energy (not wind and solar at least), the investments are recovered through the cost of electricity. But a lot of EU subsidy went goes into the development of regional airports that nobody uses (spent a lonely day at Zielona Gora recently, nice little airfield but totally deserted) and into large aviation corporations like Airbus instead.
I sat enjoying the sun (finally!) on the shore in Bremerhaven this evening, and counted windmills that I could see while looking all around - 54. Some are probably as far as Wilhelmshaven, as I could see the cranes there too. But that's nothing compared to the count north of here, toward Cuxhaven...
Once I have my September schedule, I'll offer to put together a social event here. Tours of the DC-3 are a foregone conclusion. Bremerhaven has many nice museums, but in particular, Nordholz has a delightful aviation museum, it was a former Zeppelin base. There are many Zeppelin artifacts, as well as many aircraft. It would be a drive from Bremerhaven though, as I don't think that GA is permitted at Nordholz. We'll stop in there tomorrow for an ILS and compass swing, if we shut down, I'll ask...
GA is abolutely permitted at Nordholz. First of all, there is a civil grass runway. In fact, technically, it's different airport (called "Spieka", EDXN). Lots of GA/aeroclub activity there. Then there is ETMN, which is joint military/civil airport, so you can land there, too, but you will need PPR.